Remembering how I usually used to wake up to the delicious smell of my mom’s falafel frying in our kitchen, on Fridays in my home country – Egypt, where my father, mother, brother, sister and I used to have brunch together. The main dish was falafel, which a deep-fried ball, or a flat or doughnut-shaped patty, made from ground fava beans. Fresh herbs, spices, and onion relatives are commonly added to the dough. Served hot and fresh with sesame seed spread on top, my mouth is getting watery just from describing this heavenly taste dish.
So you can imagine your own joy, eating a plate of those warm spice and crunch balls with tahini sauce or hummus, and slightly toasted warm pita bread, on the sidewalk of a café in the Big Apple – New York City on a sunny day. For me, falafel is not just a dish served on a meal table, it is a symbol of love and warmth of my family’s weekly gathering. We ate falafel on Fridays only. I would say the reason behind this, is that my working mom likes to make it fresh from scratch and falafel’s preparation takes time so it will be like a treat on the Egyptian weekend – Fridays.
These Friday’s brunches considered a holy gathering, not to be missed. This gathering helped us as a family, united till today. I consider it as a tradition, which I would pass it to my children.